Humidifier



Patented May 7, 1929. g

UNITED -STATES JAMES J'. GIIBNEY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNl PATENT OFFICE.

MENTS, TO UNIVERSAL PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

A CORPORATION 0F MINNESOTA.

HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed October 24, 1927. Serial No. 228,254.

My present invention has for its object the provision of a highly eiiicient humidifier intended for general use but especially well adapted for a cigar case. Said invention further provides a simple and highly etlicient hygrometer of novel construction for automatically controlling` the humidiier.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of the humidifier and hygrometer principally in central vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken-on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view principally in horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the base and hygrometer; and

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 on a much reduced scale with some parts removed and further illustrating the electric wiring for the apparatus.

The ihumidifier, as illustrated, includes a bowl-like casing 6 mounted on a base 7 in the form of an inverted bowl having a plurality of circumferentially spaced air intake ports 8 formedtherein near the lower edge thereof. The casing 6 is provided with a cover 9 held thereon by a capping flange 10. Formed in the cover 9 is a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 11 -for vthe display of advertising matter or other indicia between a pair' of transparent or translucent plates 12.

The casing 6, near its top, is provided with an annular internal supporting shoulder 13. A multiplicity of air escape passages 14 are formed in the casing 6' between its shoulder 13 and the top of said easing.

Removably mounted in the casing 6 is a reservoir 15 ofsubstantially the same shape as the casing 6. This reservoir 15 is provided with an external annular shoulder 16 which rests on the shoulder 13 and removably supports said reservoir in the casing 6. In the upper edge portion of the reservoir 15 is a multiplicity of notch-like air escape passages 17 that are normally coincident with the air escape passages 14. By turning the reservoir 15 in the casing 6, the air escape passages 17 may be circumferentially offset in respect to the air escape passages 14 to reduce the conducting capacity of the air escape passages 14.

The bottom of the reservoir 15 is spaced materially above the bottom of the casing 6 and at the axis thereof is an upstanding flue, comprising a lower section 18 and a relatively movable upper section 19, that affords an air intake passage 20. The lower flue section 18 is integrally formed with the bottom of the reservoir 15 and extends above the level of a body of water in said reservoir. The upper Hue section 19 is entirely above the body of water a: and normally rests on the upper edge of the lower Hue section 18.

Surrounding the flue 18-'19 is a wick comprising a lower section 21 and an upper section 22 applied, respectively, to the lower flue section 18 and upper flue section 19. Normally the wick sections 21 and 22 have contacting engagement at their abutting edges so that capillary attraction will convey the water m to the upper wick section 22 through the lower wick section 21, which, as shown, is entirely submerged in the body of water except its upper edge portion.

The reservoir 15 is provided with a dishlike cover 23 that is removably supported on the shoulder 16 and has an axial opening through which the upper flue section 19 and the upper wick section 22 extends with free- Adom for vertical movement. This cover 23 causes all moisture in the reservoir 15 to pass through the upper wick section 22 in the escape passage through the ports 17 and 14. On the marginal edge of the cover 23 is a damper 24 in the form of an upstanding annular flange that snugly iits within the expanded upper end portion of the reservoir 15 and is normally below the air escape passages 17. By raising the cover 23 its damper 24 will partly or entirely close the air' escape passages 17 to vary the air conducting capacity thereof.

A multiplicity of coincident circumferentially spaced air ports 25 are formed in the bottom of the casing 6 and the top of the base 7l for the passage of air entering said base through the ports 8 into the casing 6. From the bottom of the casing 6 the air travels upward through the air passage 2O and into the top of said casing above the cover 23 where the same escapes through the air passages 14 and 17.

Rigidly secured to the bottom of the casing 6 in axial alignment with the Hue 18-19 is an electric light socket 26 having mounted therein a light bulb 27 and which socket is of the type to cause the light bulb 27 to flicker. The feed wires 28 for the socket 26 enter the base 7 through an insulating bushing 29.

Connections including a Ahygrometer in the base 7 are provided for automatically raising and lowering the flue section 19 and the attached wick section 22 to break and make the contact between the wick sections 21 and 22. This hygrometer is of a novel construction and, as shown, includes a hydro-responsive member 30 formed from a fibrous material preferably a piece of mahogany cut crosswise of the grain. One

end of the member 30 is mounted in and` secured by a pivot to an anchor bracket 31 rigidly secured to the base 7, at the top thereof. .The other end of the member 30 has a clip 32 attached thereto and which clip is provided with a stem 33 pivoted to the short upturned end of an L-shaped lever 34 intermediately fulcrumed to a bracket 35 rigidly secured to the base 7 at the top thereof. The long or free arm of the lever 34 extends longitudinally of and below the member 30.

The connections heretofore referred to for raising and lowering the flue section 19 and wick section 22 inctlude also a vertical plunger 36 having a head at each end and slidably mounted in a sleeve bearing 37 1n the bottom of the casing 6 and top of the base 7. Loosely telescoped into the flue 18-19 from the bottom of the reservoir 15 is a sleeve 38 having on its lower end an outturned annular flange 39 which rests on the headed upper end of the plunger 36. The lever 34 is provided with an abutment 40 arranged to engage the headed lower end of the plunger 36 and operate the same.

A plurality of shouldered thumb screws 41 extend through vertical slots 42 in the upper wick section 22 and vertical slots 43 in the upper flue section 19 and have threaded engagement'with the sleeve 38.

By tightening the thumb screwsl 41 the sleeve 38 and upper Hue section 22 may be rigidly connected for common vertical movement and by loosening said screws, the upper flue section 19 will remain idle during the raising and lowering of the sleeve 19 and wick section l22. By slightly rotating the upper flue section 19 and the connected sleeve 38 relative to the cover 23, the heads of the screws 41 may be moved out of registration with the passages 44 and positioned under the cover 23 so that said cover will be raised and lowered with the upper flue section 19 and wick section 22 and thereby operate the damper 24 for opening and closing the air escape passages 17. By lifting the upper flue section 19 and wick section 22 to carry the screws 41 through the notches 44 and then turning said sections 19 and 22 to carry the screws 41 out of registration with the passages 44, the upper flue section 19, wick section 22 and connectedsleeve 38 may be supported from the cover 23 with said wick section to break the contact between the wick sections 21 and 22 and thereby render the humidifying device inoperative.

A circuit breaker operated by the hygrometer is interposed in the circuit for the light bulb socket 28. This circuit breaker includes a relatively fixed adjustable contact screw 45 carried by the bracket 31 and a co-operating relatively movable contact screw 46 carried by the long arm of the lever 34. A Wire 47 connects the contact screw 45 to a switch 48 in the light bulb socket 28 and a wire 49 connects the contact screw 46 to said switch. In one position of the switch 48 the light circuit 28 is shunted around the circuit breaker and in the other position of said switch said light circuit is completed through .the circuit breaker and at which time the contact screw 46 is held in contact with the screw 45 by the hygrometer.

Referring again tothe hygrometer I have found that a very sensitive andhighly eicient hydro-responsive clement for various different uses may be obtained by cutting a piece of wood crosswise o f the rain. As is well known, the ex ansion an contraction of a piece of woo crosswise ofl the grain is much greater than that lengthwise thereof. Wood, such as mahogany, is very sensitive to moisture and .when dryr absorbs moisture very uickly and when filled with moisture willglve the same off very readily ina dry atmosphere.

The hydro-responsive element 30, as illustrated, is arranged to operate a movable element b endwlse expansion or contraction dependm on thev amount of humidity in the air. n someinstancesit mi ht be desirable to anchor both ends of t e hydroresponsive element 30 and cause the same to operate a movable element -by a lateral movement. In this use of the element 30 the same will be strai ht when dry .and bowed laterally when filed with moisture.

As illustrated in the drawings, the hydroresponsiveelement 30 is holding the circuit breaker open so that the circuit to the electric light bulb 27 is broken and hence the artificial means, to wit: said light bulb inactive for' producing artificial evaporation of the water in the reservoir 15. In this position of the circuit breaker a proper amount of humidity is obtained by the natural evaporation of the water through the wick seetions 21 and 22. In case there is su'icient humiditv in the air. to cause a further eXtension of the hydro-responslve element v30 over that lshown inthe drawings, the abutment 4() on the lever 34 will engage and lift the plunger 36 and thereby lift the sleeve 38, flue extension 19 and wick section 22. This lifting of the wick section 22 breaks itscontact with the wick section 21 and prevents further evaporation of the water .fr through the wick sections 21 and 22.

When the humidity is less than that required, the hydro-responsive element 30 will be contracted' and lower the wick section 22 in case thel same is being held out of contact with the wick section 21 and further contraction of said element will carry the contact screw 46 into engagement with the contact screw and thereby complete the circuit for the light bulb 27 to artificially start evzporation of the water af by the heat from sai lamp. In case the contact between the wick sections 21 and 22 is broken and still there is too much moisture in the atmosphere, the switch 41 may be manually operated to shunt the circuit-breaker 45-46 and thereby complete the circuit to the lamp bulb 27 so that the heat from said bulb will dry out the air.

The air conductive capacity of the air escape passage 14 may be varied, at will, as previously stated, by manually turning the reservoir 15 in respect to the casing 6 to oil'- sct the air escape passages 17 in respect to the air escape passages 14. Or by rotating the cover 23 suiiciently to carry the passages 44 out of alignment with the screws 41, said cover will be automatically raised and lowered with the wick section 22 to close and open the ports 17 and hence the ports 14.

What I claim is:

1. A humidifier comprising a reservoir containing a body of Water, a wick comprising contacting lower and upper sections, the former of-whlch is in the bod)7 of water and the latter of which is above the same, and

operating connections for the upper wick section including a hydro-responsive controlling element for making and `breaking the contact between the wick section.

2. The structure defined in'claim 1 in further combination with a heating element closely associated with the wick sections. l

3. A humidifier comprising a reservoir containing a body of water, said reservoir having a flue affording an air passage and comprising a lower section and la relatively movable upper section, said lower flue section being in the body of water and extending above the same and said upper' flue section being above the body of water, a wick comprising lower and upper contacting sections applied respectively to the lower and upper flue sections, and operating connections for the upper flue section including a hydro-responsive controlling element for making and breaking the contact between the wick sections.

4. rlhe structure defined in claim 3 infurther combination with a heating element in the Hue, and manually-operated means in said connections for holding the upper flue section raised to break the contact between the wick sections.

5. A humidifier comprising a reservoir for holding a body of liquid, and a wick comprising lower and upper sections the former of which is arranged to project into the body of liquid and above the same, one of said sections being movable in respect to the other to make and breakl the contact between said sections.

6. The structure defined in claim 5in further combination with manually controlled means for holding the movable wick section out of contact with the other wick section.

7. A humidifier comprising a reservoir for holding a body of liquid, a wick comprising lower and upper sections the former of which is arranged to project into the body of liquid and above the same, one of said sections being movable in respect to the other, and automatic means for operating the movable wiek section to make and break the contact between the two wick sections.

8. The structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with a heating element closely associated withthe wick sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES J. GIBNEY. 

